(WOONSOCKET, R.I.) – The Museum of Work & Culture has announced an expansion of its SensAbilities series for individuals on the autism spectrum and others facing sensory challenges.

Made-to-Order Mondays will provide free admission for families, day programs, and aides who wish to experience the MoWC in a low sensory, less crowded environment. Sensory elements such as lighting and sound are adjusted, and trained staff and volunteers are on hand to provide supplementary tools and offer tours to visitors who have children with special needs.

In addition, on alternating weeks, the program will provide families free access to therapist-led art and music activities designed to help children and teens with sensory sensitivities engage creatively with the MoWC’s themes. Therapist-led programs will be offered on: July 10 at 2pm & 3pm, July 24 at 2pm and 3pm, August 7 at 10am and 11am, and August 21 at 10am and 11am.

Classes are 45 minutes in duration and led by professional art and music therapists. Each session is open to up to 10 participants, and registration is required. Families can register at ShopMoWC.com.

These events are free and made possible with the generous support of CVS Health Charity Classic.

Made-to-Order Mondays is a part of the MoWC’s SensAbilities program. Additional offerings include SensAbilities Saturdays, when the MoWC opens an hour early on the second Saturday of each month for families seeking a less crowded environment in which to enjoy features and exhibits. The MoWC also offers tools to help parents and caretakers prepare for their visit. A social story has been created as a step-by-step illustrated guide to help those on the autism spectrum navigate exhibits. Additionally, the MoWC provides checklists and “first-then” boards to better control time and sequence. These materials are available in the MoWC and on the Rhode Island Historical Society’s website.

SensAbilities Saturdays was selected by Rhode Island Monthly as the “Best of RI Editors’ Pick: Special Outreach Program” in its August 2016 issue.

About the Museum of Work & Culture

The interactive and educational Museum of Work & Culture shares the stories of the men, women, and children who came to find a better life in Rhode Island’s mill towns in the late 19th- and 20th centuries. It recently received a Rhode Island Monthly Best of Rhode Island Award for its SensAbilities Saturdays all-ability program.

About the Rhode Island Historical Society

Founded in 1822, the RIHS, a Smithsonian Affiliate, is the fourth-oldest historical society in the United States and is Rhode Island’s largest and oldest historical organization. In Providence, the RIHS owns and operates the John Brown House Museum, a designated National Historic Landmark, built in 1788; the Aldrich House, built in 1822 and used for administration and public programs; and the Mary Elizabeth Robinson Research Center, where archival, book and image collections are housed. In Woonsocket, the RIHS manages the Museum of Work and Culture, a community museum examining the industrial history of northern Rhode Island and of the workers and settlers, especially French-Canadians, who made it one of the state’s most distinctive areas.